Machine for counting and bottling pellets and the like



Sept 27, 1949. s. JOSEPH MACHINE FOR COUNTING AND BOTTLING PELLETS AND THE LIKE Filed June 29, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3 MN ME p 1949- s. JOSEPH MACHINE FOR COUNTING AND BOTTLING PELLETS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1945 Sept. 27, 1949. JOSEP 2,483,207

MACHINE FOR COUNTING BOTTLING PELLETS AND THE LIKE -Filed June 29. .1945 5 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Sept. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF cE.

MACHINE FOR COUNTING AND BOTTLING PELLETS AND THE LIKE Selig Joseph, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Jerome Rubens, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 29, 1945, Serial No. 602,369

. 3 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for counting and bottling pellets and the like, and more particularly to a machine designed to receive a quantity of pills, tablets, capsules or other pellets which are to be counted and put into bottles, boxes or other receptacles by count or number, and which is designed to accomplish this function speedily, accurately and with a minimum of manual operation or manipulation.

Among the salient objects of my invention are: to provide a machine of the character referred tointo which a bottle, box or other receptacle can be quickly placed and positioned to receive the pellets as the machine is manipulated to discharge them; to provide in such a machine a member adjustable according to the size of the bottle or receptacle so that any size of bottle, box or other receptacle can be used therein by the simple adjustment of a positioning member; to provide in such a machine a, shuttle-like feed member, provided with a predetermined number of receiving holes or recesses for individual pellets, according to the size of the pellets to be handled therein, whereby said pellets are automatically deposited in said holes or recesses as said feed member is moved back and forth from receiving to discharging positions; to provide in such a machine means for protecting the pellets against crushing or other damage caused by getting into cracks, crevices or other than the holes or recesses provided to receive them; and, in general, to provide a newand improved machine of the character referred to which is practical, accurate in operation, and economical to build and to operate.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, I will describe the particular embodiment of my invention here shown for explanatory purposes. Re-

ferring to the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view looking down upon a machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figures 3, 4 and 6 are vertical sectional views taken on the lines 3-3, 44 and 6--6 on Fig. 1;

Figure is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 55, on Fig. 1;

Figure '7 is a plan view looking down on the bottle or receptacle holder, a bottle being indicated in light broken lines;

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the adjustable feed member;

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of the same feed member;

Figure 10 is a sectional view through said mem-.- ber, taken on the line III-I'll of Fig. 8; and

Figure 11 is a, fragmentary View of a modified feed member, designed for feeding capsules.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, my invention as here illustrated, includes an upright frame structure having the opposite side members I2, 52, with the feet portions I2, I2, with a floor IS therebetween, near the top thereof, and with the cross members I4 and I5, across the top thereof, as indicated in the sectional views, thus forming a box structure to receive pellets. Cross member I4 is shown in Fig. 4, and is provided with top extensions M, It and is held in place by means of a screw bolt I6, brackets ll, with springs I8, and the winged nuts I8, whereby said cross member or wall is adjustably held in place between the side members I2, I2, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. A top plate I9 is shown in front of said cross member I4, with a cushion or pad 2& thereunder in front of said cross member I4.

The cross member I5 is a brush, and has the depending brushes I5, and is yieldingly mounted in the same manner as is the cross member I4, and has the bolts 2|, springs 22 and brackets 23, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, whereby said brush guard is yieldingly and adjustably held in position.

Slidably mounted on the floor member I3, between the side members I2, I2, is a shuttle board or member for counting and discharging pellets, pills, capsules and the like. This counting and discharging memberis designated 25, and is retained in sliding condition by two inner side members 26, 26, on the inner sides of the side mem; bers I 2, I2, and adjustably held in position by means of screw bolts 27, extended through slots 28 in said side members I2, I2, as clearly seen in Fig. 6, and provided with knobs 29, 29. Said counting member or shuttle 25 is provided with holes 30, 30, of different sizes, as may be required, for the pellets, pills or other small matter to be counted and deposited into receptacles. In Fig. 11, I have shown how the member 25' can beprovided with capsule-receiving openings 36 elongated to fit capsules.

The front end of said counting member 25 slides under the brushes I5, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, and is provided with a handle, or finger-receiving pocket member 3|, with a pad or cushion 32 on its rearward side to a front cross member 33, as said counting member 25 is pushed back into the machine to receive a new supply of pellets in the pellet holes 30.

The front end of the floor I3 is extended, as seen in Figs. 1 and 5, and is provided with a diagonal opening 34, into which the pellets in the holes 30, in the counting member 25, are dropped as said member is pulled out to bring said holes over said opening 34, which opening is really an inclined hopper-like opening, as seen in the sectional view thereof in Fig. 3. This receiving opening or hopper terminates in a discharge hole 34.

Under the front end of said floor member, as extended, is a supplemental member 35, which gives extension to the hopper form 34, but also constitutes a support for a guide or placement member 36, supported by a center bolt 31, with wing-nut 38 for tightening it in adjusted positions for different sizes of bottles, or for a box, as will be better understood by reference'to Figs. 8, 9 and 10. Fig. 8 is top plan view, while Fig. 9 shows the bottom plan view, with the tangential openings or ways for guiding the top of the bottle into register with the discharge hole 34, at the bottom of the hopper 34. It will be noted that the guide or placement member 36 is provided with difierent sizes of holes, as 39, d9, 4!, e2, t3

and 44, with guide-ways 39', 40, ll, d2, 43 and 44*, as indicated on the bottom plan view in Fig. '9. The hole 44 and its guide-way Mi is squared to receive a box. Each of the holes 39 to are movable into register with the hopper outlet.

Adjustably supported under said guide and placement member 36, is a bottle supporting table 45, supported on a rod 46, anchored in a cross member 4'1 between the side members l2, l2, as seen in Fig. 2, with its upper end anchored in thebottom member I3. This table is provided with a sleeve member 45' which fits on said rod 46, and is adjustable thereon, and locked in adjus'ted positions by means of the winged set screw48.

A guide member 49 is mounted on said table, and is readily and easily adjusted by means of slot and bolt connection at 50, as will be clear from Figs. 5 and 7, said bolt having a hand knob 5| 'thereon for turning it, and said guide member 49 having its receiving end cut V-shape, whereby a bottle B, indicated in light broken lines, can be readily moved into place without any efiort or special skill. This member 43 can be adjusted to receive and position bottles, or receptacles of different sizes and kinds, and to place them so that their mouths will register with the discharge opening at 34' from the hopper 3 4.

The front cross member 35' is indicated as of glass, as is the top plate l9, in. front of the cross member M, Fig. 5.

The number of holes 30 in the counting member 25 is shown as fifty, which makes it convenient to discharge fifty pellets at a time and thus easy to count the number of pellets discharged. This can be arranged in any desired number, and difierent members will be provided with different sizes of counting and feeding holes or openings, according to the size of the pellets to be'handled in the machine.

I am aware that changes in details of construction and arrangement can be made in the machine as here shown for explanatory purposes without departing from the spirit of the inventherethrough, at the ends of said guide ways,

for different sizes of receptacles, to be moved selectively into register with said hopper, a supporting table under said guide member for receptacles and having guide means thereon for positioning the=base of said receptacles, accordingto size, in cooperation with the guide member for the tops of said receptacles, whereby to facilitate the quick and accurate placement of receptacles to receive pellets and the like from said hopper.

2. In a machine for counting pellets and the like andfeeding them to a receptacle: a hopper, a guide member revolubly mounted under said hopper and having guide ways on its underside for the tops of receptacles, and having feed holes of different sizes therethrough, at the ends or" said guide ways, for different sizes of receptacles, to be moved selectively into register with said hopper, a supporting table under said guide member for receptacles and having guide means thereon for positioning the body of said receptacles, according to size, in cooperation with the guide member for the tops of said receptacles, whereby to facilitate the quick and accurate positioning of receptaclesto receive pellets and the like from said hopper.

3. The combination with a machine for counting, feeding and delivering pellets and the like to receptacles, of means for holding and adjusting receptacles to receive the same, said means including a hopper, a guide member revolubly supported under said hopper and having guideways on its under side for the tops-of receptacles and holes of different-sizes through said guide memher at the ends of said guideways to be moved into register with said hopper, a supporting table adjustably supported under said guide member and having guide means thereon for positioning a receptacle thereon, whereby both the top and bottom of a receptacle areguided and positioned quickly under said hopper to receive pellets and the like from said machine.

SELIG JOSEPH.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,202 Peters June 27, 1839 743,686 Buehne Nov. 10, 1903 824,463 Ayers June 26, 1906 2,109,407 Westin Feb. 22, 1938 "FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 407,527 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1934 

